Animation Celebration Saturday - Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol

NBC/UPA, 1962
Voices of Jim Backus, Joan Gardner, Jack Cassidy, and Morey Amsterdam
Directed by Abe Levitow
Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Bob Merrill

This was one of the earliest animated specials made for television, and the first time Merrill and Styne worked together. Mr. Magoo, the goofy blind-as-a-bat old codger, was one of the most popular characters at limited animation specialists UPA during the 1950's. How does he fit into this adaptation of one of the the most beloved pieces of Christmas literature? Let's join Magoo (Backus) as he's making his rather haphazard way to a theater in New York and find out...

The Story: Mr. Magoo plays the Ebeneezer Scrooge role in a Broadway musical version of A Christmas Carol, when he finally manages to get to the theater after a series of mishaps. The curtain does finally come up on Scrooge doing his ledgers in his counting house. He refuses to give any money to two men collecting for the poor, and his clerk Bob Cratchit (Cassidy) has to coax him into closing the office on Christmas Day.

That night, Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, starting with his former partner Jacob Marley (Royal Dano). Marley is weighed down by chains of his sins, showing him other wandering spirits who can no longer aid their fellow man. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Les Tremayne) takes Scrooge to the small but loving dinner of the Cratchit family and their razzleberry dressing-loving son Tiny Tim (Gardner). Youthful Past (Gardner) shows him his childhood as an unloved boy, and how he lost the love of his fiancee Belle (Jane Kean). It takes a spooky Future and watching three pickpockets who steal from the dead to make Scrooge understand the importance of charity...and what his own future holds if he doesn't change.

The Animation: If you've ever seen any of the other UPA cartoons of the 1950's and early 60's, you know what to expect here. The animation is slanted and stylized, all straight lines, geometric shapes, and pastel colors. The movement is fairly limited, but it works with the sharp lines and simple but elegant designs.

The Song and Dance: Mr. Magoo (and Jim Backus) may have been born to play Ebeneezer Scrooge. Backus really throws himself into the role, especially in the past sequence as Scrooge sadly recalls how he lost his Belle, and in the finale when he's begging for his life. He's backed by a great cast that includes Broadway star Cassidy, fellow sitcom ham Amsterdam, and radio favorites Les Tremayne as a booming Ghost of Christmas Present and Gardner as the Ghost of Christmas Past and a sweet Tiny Tim.

Favorite Number: The special kicks off with the dynamic "Back on Broadway," Magoo's opening song as he explains about the play he's in... and his antics actually getting to it. As someone who's been a loner since childhood, Young Scrooge's "Alone In the World" touches a deep chord with me. Cassidy and the Cratchit family get the rousing "We'll Have the Brightest Christmas" as Bob explains that, even if they can't have the holiday of their dreams, they still have each other. Kean introduces the special's sole ballad, the ravishing "Winter Was Warm" for Scrooge's fiancee as she sadly recalls their relationship. The scavengers in the Future segment revel in the ultimate villain song, "We're Despicable."

What I Don't Like: I have no idea why they felt the need to reverse the Past and Present sequences; for some reason, the Present sequence comes first here. (I'm guessing they wanted to put more emphasis on Tim and the Cratchits.) Most TV prints nowadays tend to cut the "Back On Broadway" opening, which loses a great number and the explanation of what's going on with Magoo being in a play.

The Big Finale: This and Mickey's Christmas Carol are my favorite animated versions of this timeless story. Give it a try - even if you're not a fan of Magoo. The music and cast alone are worth checking out.

Home Media: Re-released last year on DVD and Blu-Ray by current owner NBC/Universal. It's also available on several streaming services.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime